So you think you might wanna do some puff embroidery? Do you know that logos designed for puff are digitized completely different than regular embroidery? Puff went through a popularity phase a couple of years ago but still holds a lofty (pun-intended) place in the sports related part of the industry.
For those who don't know how puff is done,a piece of embroidery foam is placed under the lettering before the area to be puffed is stitched with high density to add loft to the embroidery. Puff designs are usually at least double the stitch count of regular designs. The excess foam is torn away afterward having been perforated by the needle penetrations.
Success with puff embroidery relies heavily on the correct digitizing, pathing, and application of the technique. Without that, your efforts will turn out poor quality.
For digitizing of puff designs, contact NeedleUp Digitizing, 303-287-6633. We'll help you get your puff job done right and guide you through the process. ;)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Branching into the Embroidery Business from other parts of the Industry
I was talking to friend in the promotional business the other day and we were discussing how several of the local promotional products companies in the area have sold their embroidery machines. You see, back about 3 years ago, they decided to take everything in house instead of contracting their embroidery out. Problem was, they didn’t understand or know the embroidery business, they just knew the promotional business. They mistakenly thought that all there was to it was to buy the commercial multi-head machine, plug the designs and shirts into it, hire a machine operator and Voila!
Now, 3 years later, I’m not surprised to hear that they’ve sold the machines and are going back to contracting out their embroidery….in essence, leaving the embroidery to the professionals. If they had asked me (which they did not) I could have saved them 3 years of money and irritation not to mention retaining a few customers they probably lost in the process.
You see, a successful commercial embroidery company is a full time endeavor; just ask anyone who has reached this point. It’s a skill and acquiring the expertise to make it profitable takes much, much more than the funds to buy the machine and hire an operator. Companies that work in related industries have a tendency to say to themselves, “How hard can it be?” because the professional embroiderers and digitizers make it look easy from the outside. Once they “go there”, they realize not only the work involved but the creative skill it takes and the technical knowledge needed and they suddenly get why the cost of a good embroiderer and/or digitizer is what it is.
The companies that are able to add in-house machine embroidery services to their other offerings, and make it work, understand production and are often printers, screen printers and related.
If you’re thinking about adding in-house embroidery to your list of offered services, do your homework, do the math; you might decide that the phone numbers of a good embroiderer and a good digitizer will be more profitable for you than purchasing your own machine…..and when you figure that out, call me! I’ll take very good care of you!
NeedleUp Digitizing LLC – 303-287-6633.
Now, 3 years later, I’m not surprised to hear that they’ve sold the machines and are going back to contracting out their embroidery….in essence, leaving the embroidery to the professionals. If they had asked me (which they did not) I could have saved them 3 years of money and irritation not to mention retaining a few customers they probably lost in the process.
You see, a successful commercial embroidery company is a full time endeavor; just ask anyone who has reached this point. It’s a skill and acquiring the expertise to make it profitable takes much, much more than the funds to buy the machine and hire an operator. Companies that work in related industries have a tendency to say to themselves, “How hard can it be?” because the professional embroiderers and digitizers make it look easy from the outside. Once they “go there”, they realize not only the work involved but the creative skill it takes and the technical knowledge needed and they suddenly get why the cost of a good embroiderer and/or digitizer is what it is.
The companies that are able to add in-house machine embroidery services to their other offerings, and make it work, understand production and are often printers, screen printers and related.
If you’re thinking about adding in-house embroidery to your list of offered services, do your homework, do the math; you might decide that the phone numbers of a good embroiderer and a good digitizer will be more profitable for you than purchasing your own machine…..and when you figure that out, call me! I’ll take very good care of you!
NeedleUp Digitizing LLC – 303-287-6633.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Moving Forward - QR codes
No doubt you are noticing more and more QR codes on products and merchandise as you are out and about in the world. Not sure what a QR code is?
These codes began in Japan back in 2002 as a way to turn a cell phone into a bar code type scanner using a code with a smaller footprint that carried more infomation and was easier to use and dirt/damage resistant. They have a built in error correction capability and are scannable at 360*. What they do is take you to anyplace on the internet that is coded inside the QR, like a website page containing your information or company video, special presentation or deals you may be running.
What has this to do with embroidery? Well, if you're keeping up with your marketing you may wanna consider adding this code to your next printing of your ad materials or the back of your business card.
But more interestingly, there's an embroidery company in AZ that digitized the code and found that YES, even in thread, if digitized as precisely as possible, a QR code can be embroidered and readable. Therefore, promotionally speaking, your customers can have their website QR code embroidered on their garments. Fabulous for creating interest and spreading the word about their company in a new creative way!
As QR codes become more and more used, and more people have android phones to scan these, they can add value to your promotional marketing and another option for embroidery for your customers!
For more info regarding digitizing your QR code, contact Donna Lehmann, NeedleUp Digitizing, 303-287-6633
These codes began in Japan back in 2002 as a way to turn a cell phone into a bar code type scanner using a code with a smaller footprint that carried more infomation and was easier to use and dirt/damage resistant. They have a built in error correction capability and are scannable at 360*. What they do is take you to anyplace on the internet that is coded inside the QR, like a website page containing your information or company video, special presentation or deals you may be running.
What has this to do with embroidery? Well, if you're keeping up with your marketing you may wanna consider adding this code to your next printing of your ad materials or the back of your business card.
But more interestingly, there's an embroidery company in AZ that digitized the code and found that YES, even in thread, if digitized as precisely as possible, a QR code can be embroidered and readable. Therefore, promotionally speaking, your customers can have their website QR code embroidered on their garments. Fabulous for creating interest and spreading the word about their company in a new creative way!
As QR codes become more and more used, and more people have android phones to scan these, they can add value to your promotional marketing and another option for embroidery for your customers!
For more info regarding digitizing your QR code, contact Donna Lehmann, NeedleUp Digitizing, 303-287-6633
Sunday, August 28, 2011
But what does a digitizer actually do?
So you have a design you need for a customers job, and you email it over to the digitizer. A few days later, the stitch file shows up in your inbox. Like magic, right? But what really happens on the digitizers desk to make that happen?
If the design isn't already in digital form, it is scanned in to bring it up in the embroidery software. From this point, companies that use an auto-digitizing software open the file and run it through, giving it some basic parameters and let the software do it's thing.... problem is, this only does a decent job on very elementary designs and there's still a need to edit and work over the resulting design as this type of software feature is not all it's touted to be and if you don't understand the process and it's limitations, you turn out junk.
What I really wanted to tell you is how digitizing is done the right way. Once the logo is in the embroidery softwear, a plan is formulated to digitize the design using a path that includes the least number of trims and color breaks so that it sews efficiently and as quickly as possible. This is called pathing.
The design is then digitized (point by point) by hand, using this path and programming codes are added telling the embroidery machine when to trim, change colors and how much density to use. A number of other commands that relate to fabric and stitching quality, are also added to basically tell the machine what to do, where and when to drop the needle, and move the needle on a mathematical grid of stitching. (There's much, MUCH more, but this is the basic the gist of it)
All these things are the reason why it's important to tell the digitizer what type of fabric the design is intended for, what colors will be used and where and the type of garment(s) it will be applied to.
Once the design is complete, a good digitizer will sew the design out to insure it sews well and registers everywhere...meaning everything lines up correctly. Designs may need to be sewn out several times to insure they sew properly.
Most companies will send you a scan or digital of the design with the stitch file so you can see the logo right away. So into your inbox comes a picture of the completed design to look at and a file in a stitching format that you won't be able to open unless you have embroidery software. This goes to the machine to produce your garments.
With a clearer idea of what you're actually paying the digitizer to do, you can have a better understanding of what it takes to create professional embroidery designs and be able to ask intelligent questions when searching for the right digitizer for you.
When you're searching for professional digitizing, NeedleUp Digitizing would love to help you be successful! Visit our website: http://www.needleup.com for more information on our services and to contact us directly.
If the design isn't already in digital form, it is scanned in to bring it up in the embroidery software. From this point, companies that use an auto-digitizing software open the file and run it through, giving it some basic parameters and let the software do it's thing.... problem is, this only does a decent job on very elementary designs and there's still a need to edit and work over the resulting design as this type of software feature is not all it's touted to be and if you don't understand the process and it's limitations, you turn out junk.
What I really wanted to tell you is how digitizing is done the right way. Once the logo is in the embroidery softwear, a plan is formulated to digitize the design using a path that includes the least number of trims and color breaks so that it sews efficiently and as quickly as possible. This is called pathing.
The design is then digitized (point by point) by hand, using this path and programming codes are added telling the embroidery machine when to trim, change colors and how much density to use. A number of other commands that relate to fabric and stitching quality, are also added to basically tell the machine what to do, where and when to drop the needle, and move the needle on a mathematical grid of stitching. (There's much, MUCH more, but this is the basic the gist of it)
All these things are the reason why it's important to tell the digitizer what type of fabric the design is intended for, what colors will be used and where and the type of garment(s) it will be applied to.
Once the design is complete, a good digitizer will sew the design out to insure it sews well and registers everywhere...meaning everything lines up correctly. Designs may need to be sewn out several times to insure they sew properly.
Most companies will send you a scan or digital of the design with the stitch file so you can see the logo right away. So into your inbox comes a picture of the completed design to look at and a file in a stitching format that you won't be able to open unless you have embroidery software. This goes to the machine to produce your garments.
With a clearer idea of what you're actually paying the digitizer to do, you can have a better understanding of what it takes to create professional embroidery designs and be able to ask intelligent questions when searching for the right digitizer for you.
When you're searching for professional digitizing, NeedleUp Digitizing would love to help you be successful! Visit our website: http://www.needleup.com for more information on our services and to contact us directly.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Learning to Fly - Digitizing that Is...
So your thinking of learning to digitize? Can't be that hard, eh? Already good with graphics? You're halfway there, right?
Well, not exactly...It's a nice thought but there's so much more than that. The learning curve is way bigger than you'd expect. It takes years to truly fine tune your art and digitize on a commercial level.
What? Your don't have years? Well, luckily, you have options! When you first open your business, your top priority is getting customers. Once they start coming through your door, you must keep them and the way you do that is to provide great quality. Even if you eventually plan to do the digitizing yourself, you will still need a good digitizer to get you off the ground.
You can begin learning the art without the pressure of deadlines and you will find that just running quality designs will provide a plethora of information if you pay close attention to the way they sew. Take any classes available to you through your software manufacturer, however, they will teach you how to use their software, not exactly how to digitize.
It's best to start learning to edit before you move on to digitizing from scratch. In this way you can also be more efficient in your business if you don't need a digitizer for every little edit that needs to be done.... and believe me, they come up.
The better you get at editing, the further along and more confident you'll be to graduate to full designs. One thing though, at this point, you may decide that your time will be better spent in your business if you continue to use a professional digitizer to free up your time to run the business and the machine not to mention bringing in the customers. Think about it and make a decision based on what's right for your business.
Of course, if you're looking for a professional digitizer, call NeedleUp Digitizing....303-287-6633 www.needleup.com We'll help your business take flight!
Well, not exactly...It's a nice thought but there's so much more than that. The learning curve is way bigger than you'd expect. It takes years to truly fine tune your art and digitize on a commercial level.
What? Your don't have years? Well, luckily, you have options! When you first open your business, your top priority is getting customers. Once they start coming through your door, you must keep them and the way you do that is to provide great quality. Even if you eventually plan to do the digitizing yourself, you will still need a good digitizer to get you off the ground.
You can begin learning the art without the pressure of deadlines and you will find that just running quality designs will provide a plethora of information if you pay close attention to the way they sew. Take any classes available to you through your software manufacturer, however, they will teach you how to use their software, not exactly how to digitize.
It's best to start learning to edit before you move on to digitizing from scratch. In this way you can also be more efficient in your business if you don't need a digitizer for every little edit that needs to be done.... and believe me, they come up.
The better you get at editing, the further along and more confident you'll be to graduate to full designs. One thing though, at this point, you may decide that your time will be better spent in your business if you continue to use a professional digitizer to free up your time to run the business and the machine not to mention bringing in the customers. Think about it and make a decision based on what's right for your business.
Of course, if you're looking for a professional digitizer, call NeedleUp Digitizing....303-287-6633 www.needleup.com We'll help your business take flight!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Things your Digitizer needs to know...
I get it.....what you may say? ....
You're in a hurry, under a deadline. You have sourcing to do to find
some chartreuse shirts that your customer wants along with some crazy
6-panel matching hats and you have to find, order, embroider and drop
ship for an event. The design needs to be digitized and approved before you can even start so you're sending it on to the digitizer so they can get started.....sound familiar? So just slap the design onto an email and send it.
So I get it....it's easier to just shoot the design over and let the digitizer figure it out, right?
Well, it may be easier at the point of *send* but if you're guilty of this, you're causing yourself problems on the backend which delay the process and can result in less than quality designs.
I know, I've been the recipient of many emails from customers that read, in their entirety: "Here's another design". I have to literally refrain from sending a reply that reads, "That's pretty!" (tongue in cheek).
Seriously, we cannot do our job properly unless we have all the information. It's not because we're nosy; there are reasons for every question we ask. At the very least, provide the basics: what color(s) will be used to sew the garments, what are the garments, fabric, and sizes needed. If the item is something like a sports bag, we'll need an embroiderable area size, not how wide the pocket is but hoop size and how much space we have once the hoop is in place to embroider.
And lastly, the art itself. Are the white areas in the background going to be filled with thread or open to the fabric? Are the colors on the art the same colors to be used for the embroidery?
If you don't know the answer to these questions, get with your customer first. Get into the habit of asking customers specific questions because they are inexperienced and have no idea what they need to tell you. If your customer is asking for their design to sew in royal and they just ordered royal shirts, you need to deal with it before you involve your digitizer.
Providing as much information as possible makes the process much smoother and all parties can be on the same page. In the end, your stitch file will get to you much faster and be digitized optimally for the job you're doing resulting in a far superior design application.
You're in a hurry, under a deadline. You have sourcing to do to find
some chartreuse shirts that your customer wants along with some crazy
6-panel matching hats and you have to find, order, embroider and drop
ship for an event. The design needs to be digitized and approved before you can even start so you're sending it on to the digitizer so they can get started.....sound familiar? So just slap the design onto an email and send it.
So I get it....it's easier to just shoot the design over and let the digitizer figure it out, right?
Well, it may be easier at the point of *send* but if you're guilty of this, you're causing yourself problems on the backend which delay the process and can result in less than quality designs.
I know, I've been the recipient of many emails from customers that read, in their entirety: "Here's another design". I have to literally refrain from sending a reply that reads, "That's pretty!" (tongue in cheek).
Seriously, we cannot do our job properly unless we have all the information. It's not because we're nosy; there are reasons for every question we ask. At the very least, provide the basics: what color(s) will be used to sew the garments, what are the garments, fabric, and sizes needed. If the item is something like a sports bag, we'll need an embroiderable area size, not how wide the pocket is but hoop size and how much space we have once the hoop is in place to embroider.
And lastly, the art itself. Are the white areas in the background going to be filled with thread or open to the fabric? Are the colors on the art the same colors to be used for the embroidery?
If you don't know the answer to these questions, get with your customer first. Get into the habit of asking customers specific questions because they are inexperienced and have no idea what they need to tell you. If your customer is asking for their design to sew in royal and they just ordered royal shirts, you need to deal with it before you involve your digitizer.
Providing as much information as possible makes the process much smoother and all parties can be on the same page. In the end, your stitch file will get to you much faster and be digitized optimally for the job you're doing resulting in a far superior design application.
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